Common Name:

General Information

Cayratia trifolia is a usually deciduous climbing shrub with stems that can be 2 - 20 metres long. The stems are produced from a tuberous rootstock, they climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of tendrils that end in adhesive disks[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and sometimes as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea to the Pacific.

Habitat

Thickets and open forests at elevations up to 400 metres[]. Forests on hillsides or by streams, on rocks; at elevations from 500 - 1,000 metres in southwest China[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, after boiling them with salt to remove the irritant properties[].

An abundant sap flows from the cut stem and is drunk in order to relieve thirst[].

Medicinal

The leaves and roots are astringent and are used as a treatment for fever[].
The leaves and roots are commonly used for poulticing ulcers of the nose[].

A decoction of the leaves and roots, or the fresh juice of the leaves and stem, are used in the treatment of high fever[].

A decoction of the leaves, or the juice of the fresh leaves, is considered to be antiscorbutic[]
The heated leaves are applied as a poultice on boils in order to relieve inflammation[]. The juice of the leaves, combined with the juice of young pineapple, is used on the head as a treatment for itch and dandruff[].

The stem is a blood purifier, carminative and expectorant[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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